Wellbeing - Senior School

R U OK? Day

This year, R U OK? Day will be held tomorrow, 12 September. The day aims to raise awareness for the mental health struggles that affect many of us, while also prompting conversations surrounding our wellbeing, calling us to honestly ask one another: 

Are you ok?  

The hope is, that by prompting people to ask R U OK? it will spark conversations surrounding the mental struggles and difficulties that we all experience. Because, although only 1 in 5 of us will experience a mental illness at some stage in our lives, we all have our bad days. Life is a rollercoaster full of joy and nasty surprises. One minute, you can be on top of the world, ready to conquer any challenge. The next, you feel as if you are at rock bottom, with nowhere to turn. We are all riding our own rollercoasters, yet many of us don’t like sharing the times we are down, and only speak about the times we are riding sky high. 

If you are going well, great! But if not, the day is calling us to take on the challenge of giving an honest answer. It is ok to say you are having a bad day. Whether it be struggling with assessments, changing friendship groups or maybe balancing school with co-curricular commitments, it happens to all of us. So, when a mate asks how you are going, instead of going to your standard “yeah not bad” let them know how you are really going.  

It takes courage to take on the challenge R U OK? Day, and I encourage all in the community to put this at the forefront of their minds tomorrow and make an effort to reach out. Because, you may not ever really know who is struggling around you unless you ask them. Even better, make it a regular habit to check in, and ask R U OK? any day.  

And yes, the age old saying that one conversation can change a life is true.  

Don’t believe me?  

Come and ask me about mine.  

Luke Bromfield 

Student Wellbeing Prefect